Hi everyone. Apologies for the scare quotes, but I know that like people all dogs are different. I am in the process of adopting a dog, and probably a Chihuahua or small terrier since I keep finding good personality matches with those breeds...so under 30 pounds, tiny! I don't have the dog yet, but I am meeting two prospective adoptees tomorrow so things are getting real. My dilemma this week has been "do I feed my dog vegan (eventually?". I asked the animal hospital I intend to use, and they said there's no real reason a dog would need meat, but I should do my own research before coming to them with anything. That relieved some of my concern, and I've since spoken to a friend of my mother (who is feeding a dog mostly vegan) who has been feeding a pitt bull vegan successfully for coming up on a decade. He had some interesting input, and I think a lot of it would be wise to do regardless of my vegan status...he feeds her cooked vegetables, tofu and beans when he is not feeding her kibble, and he says he varies her kibble frequently. I've looked at a couple of vegan dog foods...most have grains, but they are supplemented with Taurine and L-Carnitine, so I'd consider using them but I don't want to switch too quickly or have a dog eating just vegan kibble. I've considered getting some treats that are not vegan, or maybe not vegetarian as long as they use humane and sustainable practices. However, I'd like some more input. Obviously the dog has to come first, and this is paramount to veganism or ease implementation.What experience do you have with this, PPK? Any major do's and don'ts for a first-time independent dog owner would be appreciated. I know some basics from growing up with a dog, but I'm probably foggy on details at this point. :) Poll attached for quantifying feedback.

I guess this is a bit late now, but I wouldn't get too hard and fast dedicated to any one diet or brand. You never know what your future dog's needs will be! I have never been a fan of veterinary diets but right now 3 out of our 4 dogs are on vet foods due to significant health needs.

That said, it seems like the Vdog is widely well tolerated unless you have a dog with a sensitivity to a particular grain.

I like v-dog because it's got a lot of good ingredients, doesn't have the common fillers of commercial dog foods, and I like supporting a vegan company. That being said, we have used natures recipe wet food and natural balance kibble because it is readily available in the store and it's less expensive. R really liked all those brands and he is pretty picky about dog food.

My one caveat would be to keep an eye on the pH of your dog's urine if your pup is primarily plant based. We recently switched R to a prescription kibble (which is only available as a meat-based formulation) because he developed bladder stones. The vet said it was unlikely to be due to diet, it's probably genetic, but that plant based diets can raise the pH of urine, which can be favorable for a certain type of mineral to crystallize out. He required an emergency procedure to remove a big stone from his urethra and it was super scary and expensive.

That being said, with our next pup we will definitely go veg again but I will make sure his or her urine pH doesn't get too basic. We still supplement R's diet with veggies he likes like carrots, green beans, romaine lettuce and with beans (he loves a handful of canned beans as a treat).